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How is Jesus serving as High Priest to God if he is God?

Soapy

Soapy

Son of his Father: The Heir and Prince
74x12 said:
Well for that matter how can Jesus be both the high priest who offers the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself? Let's take it further. How can Jesus be the temple, the priest and the sacrifice all at once?
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The high priest was the only person sanctioned by God to offer a sacrifice in the temple.

Jesus was the only sinless man and therefore by offering himself as the sacrifice he made the offering that no one else could offer and could never have been offered by anyone by any other sacrifice.

It says all this in the book of Hebrews.
 
74x12

74x12

Well-Known Member
Soapy said:
The high priest was the only person sanctioned by God to offer a sacrifice in the temple.

Jesus was the only sinless man and therefore by offering himself as the sacrifice he made the offering that no one else could offer and could never have been offered by anyone by any other sacrifice.

It says all this in the book of Hebrews.
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Of course but it was a rhetorical question. You asked how Jesus can be God and priest at once? Well Jesus is a lot of things at once isn't he?
 
Hockeycowboy

Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
Lain said:
it was stated by St. Paul simply that Christ is the mediator between the Father and us.
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No, 1 Timothy 2:5 doesn’t say ‘the Father’ there; it simply says “God”.

This use of “persons” of God, is not found in Scripture.

Take care.
 
L

Lain

Well-Known Member
Hockeycowboy said:
No, 1 Timothy 2:5 doesn’t say ‘the Father’ there; it simply says “God”.
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All in my opinion: The Father is God, which is why St. Paul says "one God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" so often. So by "God" here does St. Paul not mean Father? It's equivalent in this passage, at least according to St. Paul's usage. I am not sure why you have made this point, but yes it says God, but St. Paul means the Father, for who else could he mean here?
 
firedragon

firedragon

Veteran Member
Lain said:
In my opinion: one of the authors is know with certainty, so it is justly received.
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I meant the book of Hebrews. If you mean to say several people wrote the book of Hebrews, and one of them are known, please do enlighten who this author is, and whats your source of knowledge on it. What method is used.

Thanks.
 
L

lostwanderingsoul

Well-Known Member
Fool said:
god created all so then all is the offspring of god.

Act 17:28
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A man can build a house but the house is not his child. A man can make a puppet but the puppet is not his child. There is a big difference between maling an object and having a child. Dogs and cats were created by God but they are not his children. Even Adam was make from the dust of the earth. That is not how you get a child so Adam is not God's child. Jesus is the only begotten son. The father and the son. Two persons, one family, one God.
 
L

Lain

Well-Known Member
firedragon said:
I meant the book of Hebrews. If you mean to say several people wrote the book of Hebrews, and one of them are known, please do enlighten who this author is, and whats your source of knowledge on it. What method is used.

Thanks.
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In my opinion: one is the Holy Spirit (see the many teachings that the Holy Spirit is the True Author of the Holy Scriptures), it's known through the mind of Christ in the Church.
 
Hockeycowboy

Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
Lain said:
The Father is God, which is why St. Paul says "one God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" so often. So by "God" here does St. Paul not mean Father?
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Which Scripture are you quoting from? It’s similar to 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, where Paul says in part: “there is actually to us one God, the Father, out of whom all things are … and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are…”

“Lord” & “God” are different…. Not the same.

King David was also called Lord, but obviously he was never called God.

Best wishes, my cousin.
 
L

Lain

Well-Known Member
Hockeycowboy said:
Which Scripture are you quoting from? It’s similar to 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, where Paul says in part: “there is actually to us one God, the Father, out of whom all things are … and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are…”

“Lord” & “God” are different…. Not the same.

King David was also called Lord, but obviously he was never called God.

Best wishes, my cousin.
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Indeed. Those Scriptures, I am quoting St. Paul from all over. "God" and "Lord" are not the same. Here are more examples:

"To all those in Rome who are loved by God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins in order to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
"Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ..."

He constantly refers in his Epistles to the Father as "God" and Jesus as "Lord."

So now back to the Scripture in question:

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time, for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am speaking the truth, I am not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and dispute."

So when he says here "one God and one mediator between God and human beings," am I to not take the phrase "one God" here as to mean the Father, even though it does not say "Father"? It is in truth the Father. Do you disagree?

Another thing, we are discussing 1 Timothy, and look at the beginning of it:

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."

Now look at the part directly above "for there is one God and one mediator":

"Therefore, I urge first of all that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all people, on behalf of kings and all those who are in authority, in order that we may live a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable before God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

The phrase "God our Savior" here, by consistency, must refer to the Father. For in the first instance he uses it in distinction from Christ Jesus by separating it with "and of," so in this by "God our Savior" he means the Father, even though it doesn't say "the Father." Do you disagree?

(All the above is my opinion.)
 
L

Lain

Well-Known Member
firedragon said:
Please read the catholic trinity concept. If you want specificity, read the athanasian creed.
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I've read that and many other Creeds, and many Church Fathers as well on the Trinity. If you think Christ Jesus being the mediator between the One God (the Father) and mankind contradicts the Trinity then I suggest that you study the matter. I highly recommend St. John of Damascus' Exact Exposition, St. Gregory of Nyssa's works on it, St. Gregory of Nazianzen's Theological Orations, and so on, for a clearer picture. For that concept of mediation is built into it.
 
Etritonakin

Etritonakin

Well-Known Member
Soapy said:
The book of Hebrews has chapter and verse to say this about the Lord Jesus Christ:
  • “Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.” (Hebrews 8:1-2)
When it is claimed by certain faction of ideological ‘Christian’ belief that ‘Jesus is almighty God’, it seems strange that the writings of the book of Hebrews should insinuate that Jesus IS NOT ALMIGHTY GOD (YHWH) by rather he is a SERVANT High Priest TO ALMIGHTY GOD.

Hebrews 7 shows Jesus being assigned the high priesthood BY GOD to serve in the ETERNAL spiritual capacity of the life limited version on earth.

Jesus is likened to the mysterious Melkizedek, to whom even Abraham paid tithes. Yet Melkizedek is not called ‘Almighty God’ since he serves in the capacity of ‘High Priest to the God most high’.

How is it then that Jesus Christ (which the book of Hebrews describes as being appointed to the high priesthood BY ALMIGHTY GOD) called ‘Almighty God’ even while Jesus Christ serves exactly in the capacity of high priest:
  • “but he [Jesus Christ] became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” (Hebrews 7:21)
Can it be so… can it be right… can it be true… that the Lord Jesus Christ is Almighty God AND a high priest to Almighty God?

Are there two Almighty Gods?

((Yet the ideological group of which I speak actually advocate that there are THREE ALMIGHTY GODS?))
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The most accurate description of the Word who became Christ -the Son of the Father is probably that he is God's first "self-replication".
Much in the bible actually indicates that God.... get ready for it... evolved (in the broadest sense of the word ....Alpha and Omega... which was, is and is to come, etc.) -but as there never could have been absolute nothing, would still qualify as eternal... in the same way we might refer to ourselves as "I" when speaking of a time before we knew we even existed -like "back when I was just a zygote". God would be eternal even if he developed from the most simple states possible of that which has "always" existed. Not saying that is exactly what happened -but it is not illogical.

In the beginning,the Word WAS WITH God -AND the Word WAS GOD. (that is only two)
They were part of the same whole of "everything" (I AM THAT AM -before Abraham was, I AM, etc.).

"God" is then partly more like a family name/surname -the Father and Son are of that family -but the Father was first and rightfully in authority. However, in reference to authority, God the Father is the God of God, the Son -and God, the Father and Son are both our God -but the Father is our God in authority before the Son -which is why we are not even to pray to the Son -but to the Father -IN THE NAME of the Son. We are to obey the Son, but his instructions are from the Father in the first place.

John 14:20 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

Therefore, we are ALL now part of the same whole of "everything" -separated logically into new persons.

Christ is called the "FIRSTBORN OF MANY BRETHREN". We will also be in that "God" family -as the children of God (the Father and Son), but they will always have their rightful places in authority.

John 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

Ps 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
 
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